Florian Wirtz has developed so much since he first arrived at Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen.
The German joined in a £116m deal, which obviously put a lot of pressure on the player from outside sources.
Wirtz was criticised in the media during his first few months at Anfield, but the 22-year-old’s recent upturn in form has done a lot to silence the doubters.
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Florian Wirtz during Liverpool v Leeds United - Premier League
Credit: Liverpool FC/Getty Images
Rio Ferdinand is unhappy with how good the ex-Leverkusen man and Hugo Ekitike have looked at Liverpool of late.
Wirtz and Ekitike are shining, and after once again combining during the Newcastle United win last week, have now linked up for six goals already this term.
Now, with title-chasing Manchester City on the horizon, Arne Slot will need his in-form duo at their best on Sunday.
Arne Slot shares verdict on Florian Wirtz’s Liverpool career so far
The Liverpool manager held his pre-Man City press conference on Thursday this week.
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Slot spoke about Jeremy Jacquet for the first time since the Reds agreed a deal for the centre-back.
He also commented on the development of Wirtz and was quick to highlight that the player hasn’t improved that much on the ball because he didn’t need to.
The 47-year-old said: “I think you saw first and foremost, full credit to the player [Wirtz] on the pitch and the gym, putting in the work. If someone is struggling physically at the start, you have to keep them in to improve and he was an example of that.
“He didn’t improve that much on the ball because he has always been special, but he has the connections with his teammates. Off the ball is the biggest improvement with him, and that combo makes you ready for the Premier League. The Premier League is about both on and off the ball.”
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How Florian Wirtz fared last time Liverpool played Manchester City
As mentioned, Wirtz took some time to get up to speed in England, and was still not at his best earlier in 2025/26 when Liverpool travelled to the Etihad Stadium.
City came away with a 3-0 win, with the German starting the game on the left wing.
Wirtz ended that defeat with a 0.09xA and didn’t make a single key pass, something he has been doing a lot in recent weeks.
The versatile midfielder also failed to have a shot on goal and completed just one dribble against the Manchester outfit.
But based on recent displays, we should see a completely different Wirtz this time around.
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